Outboard Bracket for Weta

[Paul White]

One Weta user can only get to open water along a narrow canal which is to narrow to tack along and wants to attach an outboard to the stern of the Weta which can also be removed for racing.

Solutions

Apart from not doing it and tying the Weta to an inflatable boat with an outboard as a “tug” to take the Weta to the open water, another option is to use a double suction handle to provide the base for the outboard bracket.

Connect it with sections of aluminium pipe (e.g. broom handle) flattened at either end  to create beams that can be screwed to the main hull  – using the screws used to fix the steel rudder brackets in place at one end, then bolted to the suction handle at the other.

This would give you a firm frame to bolt the plywood outboard support to as described below.

Requirements
1x Heavy duty aluminium double suction cups http://tinyurl.com/double-cup (they are rated for double the weight of the outboard but this doesn’t allow for the torque when in use)
1x Marine grade plywood sheet H10″x W6″x D2” (depending on size of outboard clamp). May need to be doubled up and glued to create enough depth.
4x Stainless steel u-bolts (to fit over handle of suction cup and aluminium beams)

Method
Buy the suction cup and make sure it can fit and hold on the flat area of the transom (there are some complex angles there so there’s no guarantee).

Locate plywood so that when the outboard is fitted, the outboard shaft clears the lip of the transom – mark off where handles need to attach to the plywood.

Drill holes for the U-bolt shafts through the plywood sheet so that the U-bolts can go around the suction cup handle and beams. Fit handles and beams to plywood using U-bolts and tighten in place (may need a rubber bush to improve grip).

Adjustment

The plate above the prop should be horizontal in the water and while the angle can be adjusted on the outboard clamp, you may need to add add a spacer between the handle/beams and the plywood to adjust the mounting angle.

Also you’ll need to ensure that the outboard clamp screws are tightened enough so that they won’t hit the hull when mounted.

Fitting

• Clean the transom of the boat and suction clamp suckers with fresh water
• Put the suction handles in place on the transom with the plywood attached and lock them in place
• Clamp the outboard to the plywood
• Attach a security line to the outboard and the transom bar.
• Test using slow speeds first!

 

Topic

[apcsilver]

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Has anyone actually tried this?  Or is this Theoretical?  Would the picture/drawing be for a long or short shaft ? Or are there any other suggestions for an o/b bracket?

[Paul White]

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This is a theoretical solution but I don’t think it would work as described because the transom is too small for the off-the-shelf glass suction handle.

However, Seasucker makes marine suction cups which have stronger suction and are designed for marine use as well as being available in individual units. They have been used for an outboard mount on a Sup as you can see in the video below.

There’s also a Weta owner who has modified one of these canoe outboard mounts to clamp across the cockpit side at the stern so that the outboard is mounted at the side.

[Author]

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